Silent Vengeance
by George Salvert
Summary: A french alchemist must confront the horrors of a newly colonized Silent Hill in order to get his revenge.
1. Innocent beginnings

I

The dark clouds above blocked out all the light and replaced it with sheets of pouring rain. As time progressed, the storm only got worse, eventually driving away all into their homes. All but one. But then again, he had no home.

Despite the barrage of rain, the man still continued down the winding road. Each step left its imprint on the ground, now reduced to mud. But the rain was coming down so hard that every time he lifted up his boots, the mud they carried with them was washed away. Thus, he paid no heed to it.

He was a strange sight to see, and not just because he was out in this horrid weather. He would've still been strange, maybe even stranger, in broad daylight. Clad mainly in loose silk clothing, with a trailing cloak and scarf, he was a strange sight indeed. The gloves and boots he bore were imprinted with a miniature of his family crest, a pair of skeletal wings coming from a grinning skull. He also covered his emotionless eyes with round-rimmed glasses, with a wide-brimmed traveler's hat completing the hiding of his face. All of these were pitch black. His hair went a bit below his shoulders, and was a complete white, with no color whatsoever.

His belt was nothing more than another piece of silk, used primarily to hold his weapons in place. Across it, he had placed four flintlock pistols in the back, a long, thin bladed rapier on his left, and a small dirk on his right. He carried not the appearance of a fighter, but appearances are often misleading.

As he walked with his calm gait, as if it was perfectly clear out, a familiar sight made itself visible. A plain carriage, drawn by two rather small horses. The driver was, of course, outside in the miserable rain, but an overhang protected him. It didn't look like it was doing a good job.

The man then noticed the window built into the side. It was not covered. A brilliant face radiantly shone from inside. A face which bore the happiness only a young woman could experience. For a brief second, while he was looking through it, she returned his gaze. He simply turned, his eyes still not in need of his glasses.

Suddenly the door opened and the woman appeared. "You must be soaking wet. How do you stand it?"

The man responded, "I've been in worse," not even facing here.

"Well, would you like to come in here, where it's dry?"

At this, two voices cried in protest. "Come on, honey, why would you want him in here? Look at him! He's a freak!" A young man's voice.

"You know, dear, he's right. Just look at the way he dresses! And who would walk out in this terrible weather? It's bad enough with the door open! Please close it." Only an old woman could have such an irritating voice. But the young woman did not obey.

Come on mister. We won't mind!"

"Yes, we most certainly would!" Both voices that time. Then one. The old woman. "Come on, Melissa dear, we mustn't keep Sarah and Gregory Rasth, or whatever his name is waiting."

At that, the strange man faced the carriage. "What did you say?"

"Huh? Oh yeah." The young woman, Melissa. "We're going to visit my sister and this new man she met, Gregory Rasth."

The strange man then clenched his fists and said, "I guess I can sit with the driver."

When he said this, Melissa pouted, and asked, "Why won't you sit in here?"

But the old woman scolded, "He's already agreed to come! Just let him sit with the driver! And close that door, for heaven's sake!" Sighing, Melissa closed it as the strange man climbed into the driver's seat.

When he climbed in, the driver shouted to the horses and the carriage started rolling again. The driver then asked him, "So, stranger, what's your name? Mine's George."

"Joseph Guillaume," was the answer. He then asked himself, "So, where are we going?"

"We're going to a newly discovered colony. It's called Silent Hill."

Joseph then faced forward, and, tilting his hat so that it covered his face, he fell asleep, despite the pouring rain.


	2. The Harbinger Named Dream

II

The Harbinger Named Dream

(Author's note- The first chapter is meant to be named "Innocent Beginnings" but thought of it after I posted it. And one must remember that Melissa is incredibly naïve.)

As Joseph slept, a bizarre feeling came over him. It was as if a barrage of waves had struck his very soul. Next thing he knew, he was presiding in Morpheus' realm.

He was in a corridor. The floor, walls, and ceiling were constructed of a fine, polished marble. Behind him, everything was clearly seen, but there wasn't much _to_ see. Just another hall, lined with doors. Each one was marked with a certain number- one said 11317815, another saying 5051817. The meaning behind these numbers greatly confused the traveler. Trying each handle, he found both to be locked. Deciding to explore this way further, he tried each door he could, but found that each one was locked. Shrugging his broad shoulders, he turned direction and decided to head up.

But this area was bizarrely shrouded in some black, almost gelatinous mist. But when he got near, a piece completely dissipated. But it still hung there, acting as an eldritch barrier to his sight. And a sudden feeling as of one watching you began to suddenly appear. Never one to take chances, Joseph spun around, a pistol in each hand. Nothing. Just the stretching corridor. Not entirely convinced of his safety, he still decided to further descend into the mist.

With each step he took, more mist in front of him dissipated, but more ancient terror collected behind him. Eventually, he reached the end of the corridor- a cyclopean gate carved from the bones of many things- humans, animals, hideous daemons, and things not of this sphere. At the bottom corners, a crow and bat stood carved into the bone. He couldn't view the top corners. But the center bore a ghastly symbol that made even Joseph blanche- two skeletal wings, spreading forth from a skull with a daemoniacal grin, with the number 4271821 right below it.

As he turned to escape the maddening sight, he heard the groaning of the dead themselves, for the gate had begun to rotate its hinges and open up. The dark god of Kuriositet

had played his sadistic hand as Joseph again spun around to gaze on what the outré portal hid from his sight.

A great chasm split the ground in front of it. The souls of the damned eternally ambled through this, this abyss. Their screams sounded as nails within Joseph's skull, forever haunting his memories.

The sight was too much. Immediately, he bounded back towards the endless corridor. He didn't get far, though, before an ornately decorated saber plunged towards his heart from an assailant that melted out of his own cloak. He felt the tip pierce his back.

Reacting with unholy speed, he clutched the sword, faced the attacker, and plunged his own dirk into the attacker's stomach. He only wore rags, and was definitely human. The rain still came down on them, cleansing Joseph's hand of the boy's blood. He couldn't be any older than fifteen. He made a choking sound, coughed up some blood, then dropped to the ground. His horrific nightmare had ended just as the boy tried to murder him. Melissa, her mother, the unknown man, and George also stood, wide-eyed at the scene that just took place.

Joseph put his dirk away and proceeded to walk away from them. But it wasn't long before he felt small arms tightly grab his waist in a tight hold. He didn't even need to turn to know it was Melissa.

"Thank you so much for saving us. That man, he was going to rob and kill us, and… more. For some reason, you slept, even though he shook you. As he was about to kill Harry (_so, the young man's name is Harry_, thought Joseph), you suddenly stood up. It appeared as if you were going to run, so the man charged at you." Here, Melissa paused, to wipe a tear away from her eyes. Then she continued, "I thought he had killed you."

Putting her head on his back, she noticed the cut on his back. Joseph calmed her, "Don't worry- it's just a flesh wound." He then took her arms off, and continued walking.

"Wait- don't go!"

Harry then chimed in, "Let the man go, Melissa and come back into the carriage."

Melissa then said, "How can you be so rude to him after he's saved your life?"

But before Harry could respond, George said, "Come on Joseph, I thought you wanted to head to Silent Hill? I did hear you talk about Rasth in your sleep, and that's where he is."

Joseph then remembered that. "Right." With that, he again climbed in next to the driver, and Melissa again got into the carriage.


	3. An Unwelcome Arrival

III

An Unwelcome Arrival

As the carriage wheels continued moving the vehicle ahead on it's beaten path, George suddenly asked, "So, Joseph, why do you want to go to Silent Hill just to see that Rasth guy? I mean, do you owe him or something?"

Joseph simply said, "Yes. I guess I do."

"What?"

"That's between me, and him."

"Okay. I see." George then rolled his eyes. _The art of conversation truly is dead._

As the dirt road continued on, a sign suddenly popped up. It was made of wood and shaped like any other sign. The words were written in plain, white letters. "Welcome to Silent Hill." Behind the sign, though, one couldn't see the town, for it was still a little ways off and a strange, thick fog covered the entire landscape afore it.

"Well, here we are." George said it with a bit too much excitement. "Better go tell my passengers."

Knocking on a wooden panel right behind his seat, Joseph noticed for the first time the screen. A wooden panel slid over, and Harry queried as to the interruption. Apparently, they had been napping. _Only one of nobility naps._ Joseph shook his head in disapproval of their actions.

"Just came to tell you that we're almost there. I can see the sign." George then pointed towards the welcoming.

"Well, are we actually _in _the town itself?" Being so close to him, Joseph finally realized that Harry had a voice that could cut through steel. Oh, if only we had risen up a few moments later.

"No, but we're pretty clo.."

"Then leave us be until we are there."

"Okay. What the Hell?" All of a sudden, the entire carriage pitched forward violently. A piece of the road had collapsed, sending the horses plunging through the hole. You could hear the cracking of their bones when they struck the bottom. The carriage fell on top of them, ensuring that they'd never walk again.

Joseph had jumped from the seat onto the ground just as the ground collapsed. Putting out his hand, he helped George up, who in turn, did the same for the old woman and Harry. Joseph had helped Melissa up.

He had barely touched the ground before Harry said, "Great. Know how are we to get to Silent Hill? Then back home?"

"Getting to Silent Hill will be easy. We can just walk there. As for back home.."

Harry then interrupted George, "Are you honestly suggesting that we walk all the way to Silent Hill? That's sheer madness!"

" I concur." The old woman. Joseph was still deciding whom he hated more. "I'm too old to walk that far."

"Come on, Harry and mother. It's not that far. Why, the sign's right there." It seemed as if Melissa was the reasonable one.

"But do we really know that? I mean, what with that fog.."

Joseph cut Harry off. "Shut up. Both of you. It's not like we're going to the Holy Lands."

"Alright. We'll _walk_." They said this more out of fear for Joseph than for the logic behind the concept.

As the group continued forward, George put up the question, "Just how did that road collapse there? I've seen some strange things before, but.."

Not even Joseph could answer that one. Instead, he focused more on the existence of such a fog near the end of April. Regardless, they kept on walking towards the town, hoping for help, as well as some answers.


End file.
